Imaginary Friends
by theangelCas
Summary: Dean Winchester only believes in what he can see with his own two eyes. That's why he knows that the Doctor must be real.
1. The Imaginary Friend

_**I'm already working on another fic right now, but this one had been nagging me, and I just really wanted to write Dean as a little kid. If you guys like it, I'll keep going, albeit slower than I'd like. Otherwise, enjoy this short little fic!**_

When Dean was little, he had an imaginary friend. He had a big blue box that could go anywhere, (even to the future!) His dad insisted it wasn't true, and that he had to stop making stuff up, but Dean knew he had to be real.

Throughout his life, Dean would see this imaginary friend a great deal of times, but he first time he met him, Dean was just four years old.

He called himself the Doctor, but Dean had never met a doctor as nice as this one, and Dean had seen plenty of doctors. He was going to have a little brother soon, and that meant Mommy had to talk to doctors all the time. They would say hi to Dean, and ask him about how excited he was for his little brother, but this doctor was different. He wanted to know about _Dean_.

Dean had gone grocery shopping with his mom that day. They were just going to get some stuff for dinner, but Dean was already getting bored. He was wandering around, as little boys do. His bright green eyes were drawn to a shelf of superhero toys. His chubby fingers grasped at a Batman action figure that was just out of reach. He turned to ask his mom for help, but she wasn't behind him anymore. "Mommy?" He spun around the aisle, his eyes tearing up as he realized that she wasn't anywhere. "Mommy!"

To a small child, losing your mother in a crowded place was one of the scariest things that you could imagine. Dean was about to break down right there, until a seemingly random adult took notice of the little boy.

"Well, hello there!" Dean turned to the voice that seemed to be addressing him. "What's wrong? Are you looking for your mum?"

Dean looked up at the man. He wore a striped brown suit and bright red shoes. His hair was sticking up everywhere, and he talked funny. Dean knew he wasn't supposed to talk to strangers, but this was an emergency. He nodded slowly, wiping away the tears from his eyes.

The man smiled brightly. "It's okay. I'll help you find her." He held out his hand, but Dean hesitated. "Don't worry, you can trust me. I'm the Doctor."

Dean took his hand and let the Doctor lead him through the store. He kept his head down, peering through his hair to look for his mom. The Doctor asked him about his mother- what did she look like, what was her name? Dean answered, but said nothing more. He was scared, and right now all he wanted was his mother.

"You have any siblings?" The Doctor asked the boy, hoping to keep his mind on something else

That seemed to do the trick. Dean instantly brightened up a bit more, and held his head up a little higher. "Not yet. I'm gonna be a big brother," He smiled proudly.

The Doctor couldn't help the smile that found its way to his face. "How exciting! Is it a boy or girl?"

"A boy," Dean replied. "When he's older, I'm gonna show 'em how to play catch and ev'rything!"

The Doctor smiled, but something hit him in that moment. He could sense something about this boy, something he hadn't sensed about anyone in a long, long time. He was going to be somebody one day- that was for sure. The Doctor knew all too well, however, that sometimes great people had to first be broken, and he didn't want to see this little boy go through that.

The Doctor listened to Dean ramble on about his little brother almost incoherently for a while. He glanced around, and saw that they were in the middle of the candy aisle. "Do you want anything?" He asked.

Dean looked up again, stopping his story for a moment. "Mommy said I can't get any candy today." He explained.

"Don't worry, she doesn't have to know." The Doctor grinned. "Go ahead- anything you want, I'll get you."

Dean thought that over for a moment, finally deciding on a red lollipop on the top shelf. The Doctor grabbed it and pulled off the wrapper. He handed it to Dean, who accepted it gratefully. The Doctor was going to say something else, when he spotted something out of the corner of his eye.

"Is that her?" The Doctor pointed up to the counters, where a blonde woman was talking frantically to a cashier.

Dean's head shot up, his eyes searching wildly. "Yes!" Dean exclaimed, dropping the lollipop onto the cold store floor, forgetting about it completely. "Mommy!" He barreled down the aisle and to the cash register.

His mother spun around, her eyes landing on her young son. "Dean! Thank God," Mary picked him up, as hard as it was for her to do at the moment, and hugged him tightly. "Don't you go wandering off like that again! You had me so worried!"

Dean glanced over at the candy aisle, but the Doctor was gone. The red lollipop was still lying deserted on the floor.

Later, Dean would tell his mom all about the nice man who helped him find her, but despite his protests, she would hold that she never saw anyone in the aisle with him.

Dean soon forgot about his supposed imaginary friend- especially when the baby came. Sammy was so cute and small, and he made his mother happier than Dean had ever seen her. With all the commotion, Dean left the memory behind.

It would be a whole eight months before he saw the Doctor again.

_**Please review!**_


	2. The Big Blue Box

The house was always noisy once Sammy was carried into it. Unless his brother was playing with him, or his mother was holding him, Sam was crying and screaming, and making all kinds of noise.

Dean's parents argued a lot, but for the most part his dad was either at work, or watching TV. His mother spent most of her time with the boys.

The house was always loud and full of life, until the fire.

After the fire, it was as if life itself had been sucked out of the house. John barely paid attention to the boys unless it was to feed them or put them to sleep. Dean stopped talking almost completely. Even baby Sammy seemed to sense that something terrible had happened, because he rarely cried anymore.

Dean's world was grey and bleak, and Dean was certain that the world would never be colorful again. But then, 2 months after the fire, Dean got a visit from someone he had almost forgotten about.

...

John was passed out on the couch. It was only 6pm, but he had been drinking all day. Sam was napping in his crib after another day of playing with Dean, and only Dean.

Dean, who had taken to not talking, was sitting beside Sammy's crib in silence. He was holding a toy car that Sam had been chewing on before passing out. He ran his fingers along it, lazily. He couldn't stop thinking about his mom. He missed her so much, and he would have given _anything_ to see her again.

Outside the window, he heard a strange whirling noise. It started out faint, but it got louder and louder. And then it stopped.

Curious, Dean stood and walked over to the window. He stood on his tip-toes and peaked over the windowsill.

The window looked out into the backyard. There was an old, beat-up swing set, and the lawn hadn't been mowed in months. That was all normal- what wasn't normal, was the big blue box that had suddenly appeared.

Dean glanced over at Sam, who was sound asleep and looked peaceful. He ran out of the room, past his snoring father, and to the back door. He opened it slowly, and watched the box from the doorway.

Suddenly, the box's doors flung open, and a blonde woman jumped out. She was wearing a faded striped t-shirt and jeans. She was laughing as she looked around. "Where are we?" She spoke with a weird accent, like the lady on the news that his dad always watched.

A man followed behind her. "It seems we're in somebody's yard," Dean's eyes widened as he recognized the man as the Doctor. He had almost forgotten all about the man that helped him find his mom, months ago. It seemed like much longer.

"You think they'll mind if we park here?" The blonde woman asked.

The Doctor laughed, and he opened his mouth to reply when something caught his eye. "Well, hello there. You must be the one who lives here," He saw Dean hiding behind the opened door. "Don't worry- we don't bite."

Dean stepped through the doorway, and into the grass. He held his head down, and kept his hands together in front of him.

It was the Doctors turn to recognize him, now. "You're the boy from the store, aren't you? Dean, right?" Dean nodded. "Dean, this is Rose. Rose, Dean. I met him the other day. Well the other day to me- it may have been a while for Dean here."

The Doctor looked Dean over, and knew right away that something was different. He had only met him once, but that little ball of joy he met that day was not the same as the scared little boy standing in front of him now.

"Hello, Dean," Rose smiled kindly and waved. Dean smiled shyly, but still didn't say anything. Rose glanced at the Doctor, who shrugged.

"Are your parents' home?" The Doctor asked. He didn't expect the reaction he got- a pained expression spread across Dean's face. He poor kid looked like he was about to cry. The Doctor tried to make it easier for him.

"Your mom?" Dean shook his head. "Your dad?" Now he nodded. _Still not speaking..._

"May I meet him?"

Dean shook his head again. The Doctor frowned. "He busy?" A nod. "Working?" Nope... "Sleeping?" There we go.

"Well then, he wouldn't mind if you left for a moment, would he?" Rose offered before the Doctor could continue. The Doctor gave her a W_hat are you doing?_ look. Rose raised her eyebrows as if to say _I know what I'm doing_.

Dean glanced behind him. He knew his dad wouldn't notice if he left, as long as he wasn't gone too long. And besides, he knew the Doctor- sorta. So he wasn't a stranger.

He shrugged.

Rose grinned. "I'll take that as a yes," She looked at the Doctor. "Where should we go?"

The Doctor thought for a moment. "I have a few ideas. Dean? You ready to see something amazing?"

...

Dean figured it was a bad idea as he followed them into the blue box. He knew that this was exactly the kind of situation he was supposed to avoid, but for whatever reason, he trusted the Doctor.

Nothing could've prepared him for stepping inside. Even if someone had told him what to expect, he still would've been amazed. The box seemed small from the outside. It fit in the corner of his backyard. Yet, when he walked inside, he realized just how huge it was. It was like walking into a movie. "Whoa,"

The Doctor and Rose both grinned. "We finally got you talking!" The Doctor ruffled Dean's hair as he walked past the kid, who was frozen in place. Dean blushed.

"How?" Dean hadn't spoken in months, and his voice was rough with unuse.

Happy that Dean was talking, the Doctor replied, "It's magic!" This was what he loved. He loved seeing the wonder and amazement on people's faces as he showed them things they could only dream of.

Rose leaned on the console and watched Dean. He stared up in astonishment and slowly made his way over to them.

Dean felt exactly how he looked. He believed the Doctor when he said that this box was magic, because what else could it have been? He wished his mom was here to see it. He could show his dad, but he wouldn't have loved it quite as much.

"You like it?" The Doctor ran his finger across the console as he thought about where to take him. _Somewhere amazing for a little boy…but safe._

Dean nodded. "I love it,"

"Just wait until you see what it can do,"

Dean's eyes widened with anticipation. "There's more?"

Rose watched with delight as the Doctor pulled levers and pressed buttons- she didn't really know what they did, but honestly she wasn't sure he did either.

"This, Dean, is a space ship. Like on TV," the Doctor explained. "It's my ship, and she's called the TARDIS. I can take her anywhere in the whole universe- even back or forward in time,"

"Really?" He had seen Star Trek with his dad, and while the show didn't interest him, he loved seeing the ship out in the stars. Dean reached out to touch the console. He was careful not to press anything, he just wanted to make sure it was real and that this wasn't a dream.

"Really,"

Suddenly, the whirling sound came back, but it was much louder this time. Rose grabbed his hand just in time before the whole ship seemed to spin. Apparently, space travel was not very smooth.

When it finally stopped, Dean thought he was going to puke. But as soon as the Doctor opened the front door, any nausea he had felt left immediately. He didn't let go of Roses hand as he walked over to the door. He stuck his head out, into space.

The TARDIS was floating in the middle of the stars. From here, Dean could see nothing but stars and planets as far as he could see. He thought he could see Earth, but it was far, far away.

The Doctor came up beside them. "It never gets old. It's amazing, isn't it?

Dean nodded. Everyone remained silent, perfectly willing to let Dean enjoy the view. "You said you can go anywhere, right?" He asked after a while.

"That's' right."

"Can you go to Heaven?"

Neither the Doctor nor Rose was expecting that question. Caught off guard, the Doctor hesitated. "No, sorry," he glanced over at Rose, and their eyes met. "You know what, Dean? I think I have some cool alien ice cream in the fridge. You wanna check it out?"

Dean's eyes lit up. "Whoa! Alien ice cream?"

...

Over ice cream, the Doctor got Dean to tell him what happened. Dean explained quietly about the fire two months ago, and how his mother didn't make it. It broke his heart to see the kid so sad. He was so bright and full of life.

Rose was reluctant to send Dean back home, but the Doctor convinced her it was for the best. They couldn't just kidnap the kid. Besides, he would never leave his brother.

They landed the TARDIS in Dean's backyard, just a little more than a minute after they had left. "It'll be like you were never gone," Rose held his hand as she led him into the yard.

"I had so much fun," Dean thanked them. "Thanks for the ice cream,"

The Doctor crossed his arms and leaned against the door frame of the TARDIS. He was honestly worried about the kid. He had lost his mother at such a young age, and according to Dean's stories, his father wasn't exactly coping well. He knew that he would have to check up on him. He wasn't gonna just abandon the poor guy.

Dean let go of Roses hand and spun around. He had gone from standing still and refusing to speak, to a bouncing ball of energy that couldn't say enough. "You wanna meet Sammy? He's sleeping, but he won't mind,"

"Maybe some other time, Dean." The Doctor promised. "I don't know if your father would appreciate us barging in like that,"

He thought Dean would be disappointed, but instead he looked even happier. "So your gonna come back?"

It was the Doctors turn to grin. "Of course,"

They said their goodbyes. The Doctor and Rose went back onto the TARDIS, and went to find another adventure. Dean went back into his house and waited. He waited for Sammy to wake up, and for his dad to play catch with him again. He waited for his mother to walk through his front door one more time. And he waited for the Doctor to visit.

He started to speak again, and John didn't understand why. He told stories about his new friend, but they were ridiculous stories- he had an overactive imagination.

Dean waited for a long time, but this time, he never forgot the Doctor. The next time he saw him he was 10 years old, although the Doctor had seen him several times since then. (Time travel can be quite confusing,)

This new Dean was much different. He had seen things that even the poor little boy in the backyard had never even dreamed of. He knew things about the world that no boy should ever have to know. And most importantly, he had a little brother that he would die for- and, of course, he would.

The Doctor recognized him instantly, but he didn't like what he saw.


	3. Hunters vs Aliens

Dean had been allowed on hunts for a few years by now, but nothing like _this_ had ever happened before. His dad was hunting a particularly nasty spirit that took a liking to kids. Dean was just about the right age, so John was hesitant to bring him along. But he knew he needed backup, and Dean was a pretty decent hunter for his age, so he allowed him to come.

Dean was keeping watch while John dug up the grave. He had a shotgun full of rock salt in his hands, making him look even smaller than he was already. His eyes scanned the cemetery diligently, knowing fully well that his father's life may depend on him seeing the threat first. What he didn't consider was that his life was in danger as well.

"Shh!" John shushed suddenly, gripping the shovel. He narrowed his eyes. "Did you hear that?" He whispered.

Just then, the spirit appeared behind Dean's small frame. "Dean! Behind you!" His father shouted, but not in time. The ghost threw Dean to the side and he landed eight feet away. His shoulder connected with a gravestone nearby, and Dean could hear the crack of the bone as he slumped onto the ground. He squirmed in pain, but struggled to keep conscious for his father's sake.

Meanwhile, John rushed to his own gun. He shot two rounds into the spirit. "Dean!" He yelled, not moving. "Hold on, buddy!" He went back to shoveling, much faster now. He quickly uncovered the coffin and poured the gasoline.

Even with his best efforts, he wouldn't have been able to successfully salt and burn the body if it hadn't been for Dean. The spirit appeared behind him, just as he found his lighter, ready to attack. Dean, however, saw it right away. Fighting through the pain, he picked up his gun with his left arm and shot at it.

John lit the body, and the ghost appeared for one final time to go up in flames. As soon as he knew it was gone for good, John finally rushed to his son's side.

He drove him to the hospital, although Dean went unconscious long before he got there.

He had a broken arm and a fractured clavicle, but he would live. Dean knew that, and so did his father, who scolded him when he awoke for being negligent. Sam, however, was inconsolable when he ran into Dean's room. He flung himself on Dean, who didn't mention how much it hurt when he did so. It took an hour to convince his little brother that he was going to be okay. Eventually John insisted that Sam went home and let his brother rest.

It was right about that time that the Doctor found himself in the very same hospital, although not on purpose. He was older than the last time Dean saw him. He had been through a lot since then. He lost Rose, and even Martha left. But now he had Donna with him, whom he loved dearly- except at times like these.

"Oi, I _knew_ this would happen," Donna rolled her eyes. She was sitting in the uncomfortable waiting room chair beside him. He had tripped over a fence, chasing an Ogron around town. Luckily, he didn't seem to be following a leader at the moment, which made him much less of a threat. Eventually they managed to lock him up in the TARDIS for later, but not until after the Doctor fell. He seemed to have twisted his ankle, but if it wasn't for Donna he wouldn't have come at all.

"I'm fine. I don't need to see a doctor- I _am_ a doctor," He sighed.

Donna was replying to his comment, but he was no longer listening. His attention was encompassed by a little boy and his father, who both looked strangely familiar. The boy was no older than 5 or 6, with short floppy hair. He was still dressed in what looked to be pajamas as if he had rushed out of the house in a hurry. His father towered over him. He was a large, burly man in a coat. The Doctor was not easily intimidated, but he would not want to piss off this man. He was surprised to see how tenderly he interacted with his son.

"Daddy we can't leave him. He'll be all alone," the boy whined in a high-pitched voice that was obviously not used to being denied.

"Sammy, your brother needs to rest. He's a big boy, he'll be fine," The man picked up the boy- Sammy- and carried him the rest of the way.

"But Dean's hurt and-"

_Dean!_ the mention of Deans name had the Doctor connecting all the dots. Those were the infamous Winchesters, alright. Sam was younger than the Doctor had ever seen him, but now it was clearly him. He had never met John, their father, but he had heard enough about the man.

"Doctor, are you even listening to me?" Donna snapped his attention back to her. "What are you off daydreaming about?"

The Doctor looked back at the Winchesters, who were already out the door. "I think there's an old friend of mine here," he explained.

Donna raised her brow. "An old friend? What kind of _old friend_?" She asked skeptically.

"The good kind," The Doctor assured her. "And _old_ might be a bit misleading."

He stood, placing most of his weight on his right, uninjured leg. He heard Donna scolding him, but he didn't care. He knew he had to see Dean. "Well, come on, then! Let's get going!"

...

Dean was exhausted by the time Sam left, but he still wished he could've stayed. He figured he had already pissed off his dad enough, and he didn't want to cause any more trouble by questioning his orders.

"Dean?" At first he thought it was a nurse calling his name, but before he even looked up to the source of the voice, he knew it was the Doctor.

"Doctor!" Dean exclaimed. It had been 6 years since he saw his friend. Things were certainly different now. "What are you doing here?"

The Doctor limped into the room. "Twisted my ankle, I think." He motioned to a red-haired woman that followed him in. "Dean, this is Donna. Donna, this is my old friend, Dean."

Donna smiled. "A little kid is not exactly what I expected, Doctor."

The Doctor just shrugged. His eyes fell to Dean's arm in a sling. "What happened to you?"

Dean's eyes averted his. "Broke it. I was being stupid and fell."

The Doctor knew instantly that he was lying, but didn't say anything. _Why would he lie?_ The image of John flashed into his mind. _No...I've heard some bad stuff about the guy, but nothing like this,_ He decided to question him about it later.

The Doctor sat down beside Dean's bed, and motioned for Donna to do the same. Donna rolled her eyes but brought up a chair anyway. "So Dean- how old are you now?"

"I'm turning eleven soon," Dean answered.

"Wow, you're pretty old, huh?" Donna smiled, obviously not knowing how to interact with children. Dean would usually say something sarcastic, but Donna was nice and pretty, and more importantly, a friend of the Doctor, so he stayed silent.

Instead, he focused his attention on the Doctor. "You know, when you said you'd be back, I didn't think you'd take six years."

The Doctors eyes were apologetic. "Sorry- time travel, ya know? I've seen you several times recently- you've just been much older. But six years... that meant you were four, and I took you out for ice cream, right?

Dean grinned. "Yeah, that's it. That means I'll see you again? Awesome." Dean closed his eyes. "I can still remember being out in space. It was so awesome." He opened them again. "Can we go back? In your... tar-dice thing?"

"Sure, sometime," the Doctor promised. "Wherever you want to go. You can see the distant civilizations of an entire new galaxy, or stay close to home and visit the ancient Romans. It's up to you. But right now, you should rest your arm, right?"

Dean sighed, but realized a compromise when he saw one. He wondered if the Doctor had any kids- he would certainly make a good father. "Is your name really just 'The Doctor?'"

"Yup,"

"Are you a doctor, then?"

"Not exactly," The Doctor grinned mischievously. It was interesting to see Dean at different points in his life. He was always so different. But this Dean- this young, curious kid who was still full of adventure was his favorite so far/

"Well, while you boys bond, or whatever it is you're doing, I'm going to get some tea. Do you even have tea in America?" Donna laughed. "Do either of you want something?"

"Some pie?" Dean jumped at the opportunity for some real food.

When Donna left, the Doctor turned back to Dean. "How did you say you broke your arm?"

Dean shifted awkwardly. What was he supposed to tell the Doctor? That a ghost threw him across a graveyard? "I tripped and fell, that's all,"

"Come on, Dean, you can trust me," the Doctor cooed.

Dean pursed his lips and looked down at his hands. "You said you met me in the future, right? Well, did I say anything about...hunting...?"

The Doctor narrowed his eyes, and then realization came crashing down. "You got hurt hunting? But...you're only ten!" He knew that _adult_ Dean was a hunter, but he didn't realize how early he had started with his overly dangerous profession.

"That's old enough," Dean protested. "I'm a good hunter! I mean, this time I got hurt, but that comes with the job."

The Doctor held his hand to his face for a moment, closing his eyes. This sounded just like the Dean he met last time. He had hoped that younger Dean was different, but he hadn't realized just how deep Dean's wounds went. "Dean..."

Dean sighed. He didn't want to lose the Doctor as a friend just because of his job. He had waited for him to return for so long, and now that he was here, Dean was already disappointing him. "Doctor, please," Dean Winchester did _not_ beg, and that _certainly_ was not what he was doing now. "I'm okay, I promise."

The Doctor nodded, and stared at the poor boy. He shouldn't be getting upset with him- this wasn't his fault. It wasn't his choice to get into hunting so young, it was his fathers. He suddenly had the urge to ask Dean to come with him and Donna, to be his new companion. The Doctor knew there could be consequences, since he had already met future Dean, and that had never happened. Taking him with him now would mean altering both of their timelines, but it would be worth it.

Donna suddenly came through the door. She held a cup of coffee in one hand, and a paper box in the other. "No tea, unfortunately," She frowned. She had obviously walked in on a _moment_ between the two. _Oh well, too late now,_ "Here you are, Dean. I hope you like cherry!"

Dean accepted the box with his good hand, excitedly. "Thank you!"

The Doctor leaned back in his chair to think. He had seen what the future had in store for Dean, and it wasn't pretty. He would never get the easy life he deserved, no matter how hard he or his brother tried. Would it really be against the rules for him to help the poor kid? How could that be? He was a Time Lord, for god's sake. All of this power and he couldn't do anything.

Dean devoured the pie while he listened to Donna talk, and boy, did she have a lot to talk about. They had just gotten back from the Planet of the Ood, and Dean was enjoying every detail about another alien race..

"And this _Dumbo_ over here just had to go trip over his own feet. You'd think a Time Lord would be a bit more coordinated than that." Donna laughed.

"Wait, what? A Time Lord?" Dean finished his plate, and put it on the side table. "What's a Time Lord?"

Donna shot the Doctor a look. "I thought you said he was a friend of yours- and you didn't even tell him you're not human?"

_Not human?_ Dean stared warily at the Doctor. The little boy in him was more curious than anything, but the hunter side of him was immediately suspicious. Dean _hunted_ things that weren't human- shoot first, ask questions later. But this was the Doctor- he was a friend. Certainty he couldn't be dangerous.

The Doctor looked apologetically at Donna. Honestly, he didn't know what Dean knew about him. He knew more things about Dean than Dean even knew, so it was always possible that Dean would know more about the Doctor at some point.

"Sorry, Dean. It's...complicated." he could see the suspicion in Deans eyes, and for a moment he was almost scared. He was scared about the person Dean was. Sure, the Doctor had seen him as a little kid, but he was innocent then. And he had met him as an adult, but that was long after the influence of his father had started to fade. This Dean was still not done growing yet, in any sense of the word. Who knew... he could be dangerous. "I'm not a monster, first of all. I'm an alien- from the planet Galifrey."

Dean tilted his head. "But you look...human,"

The Doctor smiled softly and put his hands to his chest. "Two hearts. Otherwise, we're quite similar."

Dean thought for a moment. _He's practically human..._ Dean told himself. He knew his dad would disagree, but... _Dad..._ Dean could _not_ tell John about the Doctor. He would realize right away that there was something off about him, and he'd probably try and kill him. _Besides... I already tried telling him and he didn't believe me._ "Can I see it?"

"See what?"

"Your planet. Gali- whatever. Can I see it?" Whatever his hunter instincts were trying to tell him, his curiosity had been sparked and it would not die down. He trusted the Doctor, even if he wasn't human.

The Doctor stiffened. "No. It's...it's gone." Donna put her hand reassuringly on his shoulder.

Dean nodded. He didn't ask anymore. He knew how the Doctor felt. He had lost his home, too. "What _can_ I see?" He changed the subject.

The Doctor recognized Dean's want to travel. He could almost _feel_ his curiosity from here. He, like all of his companions, had the desire to see the universe.

"Almost anywhere else." Donna answered for him. The Doctor shrugged in agreement.

Dean thought for a moment. "Another planet. In a whole 'nother galaxy!" He said excitedly. He had to stop himself from screaming with delight when the Doctor agreed.

"You wanna go now?" He asked.

Dean practically jumped out of bed. "Let me get my clothes,"


	4. Wild Adventure

_Somewhere fun...but safe._ Dean looked like he would have preferred some alien planet during its own civil war, but the Doctor knew his leg and Dean's arm wouldn't allow for anything too dangerous. Instead, he took Dean somewhere simple- future Earth.

Dean followed the limping Doctor and Donna into the TARDIS. It had been a while since he had been inside, but it was exactly how he remembered it. He still wasn't used to the feeling he got when he walked inside the tiny box and into the massive ship. "This is just as amazing as I remember it," Dean couldn't, and didn't want to, hold back his excitement.

The Doctor grinned, leaning against the console with his good leg. "Just wait. You've seen her travel through space, but not time yet."

"Awesome," Dean's eyes glowed.

Donna rolled her eyes, even though she, too, was secretly excited as well. She'd never get bored of the Doctor and his adventures. She could do this for the rest of her life- and she certainly planned to. "Where are we off too, Doctor?"

"The future," was all he said. Dean stood beside the Doctor, watching him mess with the TARDIS' controls inventively. Maybe he could learn how to control her sometime, and go wherever he wanted. He thought he would be free when he got the Impala from his dad, but now Dean knew what true freedom looked like.

Dean heard the whirling sound. He grabbed onto the console with his good hand, hoping that was enough after his last trip.

Luckily, it was, and as the TARDIS flew off, Dean imagined it flying through the stars. The blue wooden box swerving through asteroids and planets, being dwarfed by the passing suns. He closed his eyes and imagined until he felt the floor below him come to a stop.

"Ready?" The Doctor asked. Dean nodded furiously. The Doctor limped over to the front doors and waited s moment for dramatic effect before swinging them open.

...

Dean peered through the doors, expecting to see some Star Trek-like world. Everything would be clean and white and mechanical- robots would be roaming the metallic streets.

However, he didn't expect to see wooden building and dirt roads. "Uh, Doc? Does the Wild West make a comeback anytime soon? 'Cause this isn't exactly what I expected from the future."

The Doctor frowned in confusion. He went back over to the console. "It appears the TARDIS had other plans. She brought us _back_ in time." _But why here? Why now?_

Dean thought for a moment and then shrugged. Either way- it was pretty awesome. "Whatever. Let's go!"

Donna followed the Doctor out closely. When she figured Dean couldn't hear, she asked, "Doctor, why'd the TARDIS bring us here? Is there trouble?"

The Doctor sighed. "I don't know, but I hope not."

In all his excitement, Dean barely even felt the pain in his arm anymore. The sling kept it close to his body in a weird position, but otherwise he probably wouldn't even have remembered it was broken. He walked ahead of the other two, who were trying to keep up. They were much more wary then he was, and were on high alert. Even so, it was Dean who spoke up first. "This place is empty," he turned to them.

They had landed in the middle of some old western town. There were several buildings surrounding them, but no people in sight. He actually saw a tumbleweed roll by. Dean's hunter instincts suddenly clicked into gear. Something was up.

The Doctor recognized a shift in Dean's demeanor. "Yeah, you're right. Something's not right." He stopped and held his hand out toward Dean, who was quite a few feet ahead. "Come on. We should go back. I don't like the looks of this place."

Dean was about to protest when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. Something between the buildings had moved. He turned to it, but there was no one there. The only thing there was a creepy statue. It seemed out of place, standing beside what looked to be a run-down saloon- _R__ight out of a western movie..._ Dean smiled to himself.

"What is it?" The Doctor saw Dean stop and stare somewhere he couldn't see.

"Nothin'," Dean muttered, shaking his head. "Just thought I saw something."

"What did you see?" Donna could tell that the Doctor wanted to leave right away, but what if someone was in danger?

"Well, I thought I saw something move," Dean explained. He turned back to the Doctor and Donna. "But it was nothing. I'm probably just still spooked after my last hunt," He looked down at his arm. He glanced momentarily at the buildings again, and then did a double take. _Did that statue move?_ He could have sworn that it was closer now than before. But that was crazy...right?

The Doctor sighed and limped to Dean to see what he was so interested in. Dean shifted slightly away as he got close. "It's nothing- let's just go."

It was too late, though, because right then the Doctor saw it. An old statue of an angel, holding its hands to its face. _Oh no..._ "That's not nothing, Dean." The Doctor grabbed his good arm and pulled him with him. "That's bad- very bad."

"What is it? Doctor?" Dean allowed himself to be dragged away.

"It's a weeping angel. We need to get out of here. Now."

"Doctor-" Donna turned to leave with them, but something stopped her in her tracks.

The Doctor looked up at her, and saw what it was. In between the three of them and where the TARDIS was parked, was another weeping angel.

Dean gaped at the statue. It looked just like the other one, except this one wasn't covering its face. Its arms were outstretched towards them, and its face was frozen in a scream. He moved closer to the Doctor, trying to make himself smaller. "Doctor, what's a weeping angel?"

"It can only move when no one's looking at it. But they're fast- very fast. And if they get you..." his voice trailed off. This was not the first time he had dealt with these things, and he wanted nothing more than to get back to his ship, but now this bloody angel had blocked them. "Keep your eyes on it. Dean, look behind us and see if the other one followed us." He hoped that they could just sneak around it.

Dean nodded and turned. As he figured, the other angel wasn't far behind them anymore. "It's close," The Doctor had finally let go of his arm, but Dean stayed right beside him. "We just have to keep staring at them, right? You guys take that one, and I'll get this one. We can just keep them locked in place and while we make a run for it."

The Doctor was impressed with Dean's plan, since it was basically the same as his. "Solid plan, Dean. Just remember- don't blink."


	5. Blink

_**Sorry for the wait. My computer had a virus on it, and I had to wipe my whole computer! I don't even have MS Word anymore, so I'm using wordpad for the time being. Hopefully I'll be quicker with the next update. Thank you to those still reading! Please follow/favorite/review!**_

"Donna, you ready?"

Donna swallowed hard. "I guess so." She hadn't dealt with these angels personally, but she had heard about them plenty. She did not want to be messing with them.

The Doctor tapped on Dean's shoulder and began walking forward. He kept his eyes on the angel, and hoped that Donna was as well, because eventually he was going to have to blink. Then he realized that Dean was handling the other one all by himself. "Dean, are you okay? Your eyes watering yet?" He asked worriedly.

"I'm good, Doc. I've won loads of blinking contests with Sammy." He grinned, knowing no one else could see him. His eyes _were_ starting to bother him, but he would be okay. They still had a while to go.

They rounded past the first angel, which was incredibly helpful. Now, as long as they could walk backwards, they could all keep an eye on both of the angels. They each took turns blinking.

"Almost there, guys. You're doing good." The Doctor hoped he sounded reassuring. They just had to keep this up until they reached the TARDIS- however far back that was. He was too afraid to turn around yet.

The one angel Dean had been watching was pretty far away now, and it was getting harder to see. He hoped they hadn't wandered _that_ far from the TARDIS.

Suddenly, Dean heard something behind him. "Did you hear that?"

The Doctor tensed up beside him. "We've got these. Go ahead and look."

Dean gulped and turned around. He had to catch him self from screaming when he saw an extended stone hand clamping onto his shirt. He froze, staring up at the snarling angel. _If I had looked just a second later..._

"Dean?" Donna called. "Are you alright?"

"T-t-there's another one. It...it has my shirt." He stuttered slightly. Dean picked up his left hand and tried to pry his shirt from its grasp. _Damn... _The stone was too strong, and he couldn't get his shirt out without ripping it. Unfortunately, that was hard to do with just one working hand.

"Are you okay?" The Doctor stopped, still staring at the not-so-weeping angel, but putting his hand out toward Dean. "Do you need help?"

Dean didn't_ want _to ask for help, but he realized he'd probably need it. "I can't get my shirt out, and I can't rip it with just the one hand. I need a knife or something, but I left mine at the hospital."

The Doctor tried not to consider _why_ Dean had knives at the hospital with him. "I don't carry one either..." He thought for a moment. "Can you turn your head enough to see the angel on the left?"

Dean considered this. He couldn't test it out without looking away from this angel, though, so he'd just ave to do his best. "I think so,"

"Okay, well I'm going to turn and look and the angel that has you. As soon as I do, but NOT even a _second _before, you have to turn to see the other one while I free you. Okay?"

Dean swallowed hard again. "Yeah okay. Doctor? Uh... What happens if the angels get you?"

"They send you back in time, and feed off of your time energy,"

Dean decided to pretend that made any sense. "That doesn't sound too bad. You have a time machine, you can come get me, right?"

The Doctor sighed. "No, I'm sorry, Dean. It doesn't work that way, it's...complicated."

"Is that what happened to this town?"

"Probably."

Dean tugged one last time at his shirt. "Alright. Let's just do this." He said finally.

"I'm going to count. Ready? One...two...three!" The Doctor turned and laid his eyes on the angel that grabbed Dean. He shuddered when he realized just how close it was to getting him. He really hated these damn angels. He saw Dean swing his head around. Albeit struggling, he seemed to have caught sight of the other angel.

"Hurry, Doctor! I can't stay like this forever." Donna called. Her eyes were watering and she knew she was gonna have to blink soon.

The Doctor clutched onto Deans shirt, and while keeping the angel in his sight, he ripped the fabric until Dean was free.

Dean had been leaning back to keep his eyes on the third angel. It had worked- sorta- until he was released. As soon as the angel had stopped holding him up, gravity took over and he tumbled onto the ground. "Ow!" He fell directly onto his already broken arm, causing serious pain to shoot up through the limb.

"Dean?" The Doctor exclaimed. He couldn't look away from the angel or else it would certainly get to either him or Dean. "Dean are you okay?"

Dean groaned. "Yeah," he tried to get the word out, but it ended up more of a moan. He glanced up from the ground, and found the angel again. It was much closer this time, but not close enough to get to them. "I'm sorry. I fell on my arm." He explained once he could speak properly.

"Doctor, we need to go. The TARDIS is just a few meters away. I say we just run for it." Donna advised. She couldn't see exactly what was happening, but she knew that they had to go soon.

The Doctor clenched his jaw. Donna was right, as always. They could probably make it if they just ran like hell. However, he wasn't sure if he could do it on his leg- but he would try.

"Okay, Dean. I need you to stand up, and get ready to run. Can you do that?"

"Mm hmm.." Keeping his eyes on the angel, he hoisted himself off the ground. He bit his bottom lip, trying not to cry out in pain at his arm. It hurt almost as badly as when he first broke it. "Alright, I'm ready."

"Donna?"

"Ready as ever, Doctor."

"GO!"

The Doctor, Donna, and Dean dashed toward the TARDIS. The Doctor was having trouble keeping up, so he threw Donna the key. As soon as she got to the door, she unlocked it and turned around. She spotted all three of the angels behind the others. As long as she held their gaze, the other two would be fine.

Dean was right behind her. "Doctor! Hurry!"

The Doctor was a few feet away when he tripped, again, and fell face first. Dean rushed over and grabbed him with his left arm. "Come on, Doctor. Are you okay?" He helped him stand up again, and pulled him back into the TARDIS. "Close the door, Donna!" He called once they were safely inside.

Donna slammed the TARDIS doors shut and was finally able to take a sigh of relief. She closed her eyes, enjoying every second of it. "You boys okay?"

Dean nodded, although his arm hurt like hell. "Doc?"

"I'm fine." The Doctor stood up and leaned against the side of the TARDIS for support. "How is your arm?"

"Peachy," Dean ground out. He focused on breathing evenly, rather than the pain shooting up through his arm.

"Sorry this little trip didn't go quite as planned..." The Doctor apologized, walking over to Dean. He put his arm around his shoulders. Older Dean would've shrugged him off immediately, but this Dean was still a kid. He needed that touch, that reassurance. Adult Dean did too, he just didn't realize it.

"Nah, don't worry about it. I'm just happy to be out of that hospital." Dean wasn't lying. Sure, all they really did was get chased by some statues, but it was kinda fun. It was like he was hunting, and Dean locked hunting. _Speaking of hunting..._ "Shouldn't we... I don't know...do something about those things? The town either all died or ran away- can you kill those things?"

The Doctor smiled. "I figured you'd ask. Yes, Donna and I will worry about them. You should be getting back home."

"But we just left!" Dean argued, finally sounding like the ten year old he was. "Come on, Doctor, we gotta do _something_ fun! It's not like this was muc of a good time! You owe me."

The Doctor sighed. Again, he considered having Dean stay with him. "Why don't we just relax for now? You want something to eat?"

"Yeah, sure," Dean agreed, less enthusiastically. He recognized how the Doctor was changing the subject. His dad did that all the time.

"The kitchens down the hall four doors on the left," the Doctor explained. "Feel free to have whatever you want."

Dean left, leaving the Doctor and Donna alone. "What are you thinkin' about, Doctor?" Donna asked once Dean left earshot.

"He should stay with us." He said, simply. "He'd love it. He could go wherever he wanted. He could see the stars! He loves to help people, Donna. He'd do great with us..."

Donna's face softened. "Doctor, he's just a kid. He's got a family..."

"You haven't seen it, Donna." The Doctor argued. "You haven't seen what he's destined to be." Images of Dean's lifeless body flashed before him. He had seen what would happen if Dean stayed in the hunting life. Donna couldn't possibly understand...

"Doctor... You can't change his timeline. You know that." Donnas voice was quiet and sad. She wanted to help the kid too- he seemed so sweet and kind. She would love to have him along, but they just couldn't do that.

"I know, but-" The Doctor cut himself off when Dean walked back into the room. He had a half-eaten sandwich in one hand and an orange soda in the other.

"Man, you guys got everything here!" He smiled, taking a bite out of the sandwich.

"Dean...i Have something to ask you." The Doctor waved him over. Dean was not hesitant to oblige. "You want to travel around with us, don't you?"

"Yeah, course. Who wouldn't? This place is amazing."

"Then you should," The Doctor continued. "You should come with us,"

Deans face changed from a smile to something the Doctor couldn't quite place. It seemed like Dean suddenly put up a barrier and hid his emotions, just like that. "You mean, like, permanently? Like Donna?"

"Yes, like Donna. And Rose- you remember Rose?"

Dean bit his lip as he listened. He thought about the Doctors offer- which was really everything. He wanted to say yes. He wanted to run off with the Doctor and his ship, and not have to worry about monsters anymore. Besides, there were alien monsters too- like the angels. He could still help people, just not from his time, or even his planet.

But, as they usually did, his thoughts traveled back to his family. How would his dad react if he just disappeared from the hospital and never came back? What would he do with Sammy when he went out hunting? Sammy didn't even _know_ about the supernatural yet. How was he supposed to take care of himself when his dad went off who knows where?

He considered for a moment that Sam could come with him and the Doctor. But Sam was too little for stuff like this- and that would be leaving his dad all alone. _No_, he decided, _I couldn't do that_. "I'm sorry, Doctor, but I can't. I can't leave Sammy, or my dad."

The Doctor sighed. "Dean..."

"I would really love to, you know that.." Dean continued when he saw the Doctors hesitation. "But my family needs me."

The Doctor nodded, and smiled as much as he could. Dean sure was different...but some things never change. "I understand. You need to do what you need to do." He put his hand on Deans shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly. "Anywho- lets go somewhere exciting, huh? Anyone you ever wanted to meet?"

Dean thought back to history class, but he never really liked history. He did read a lot though. "Vonneget?"

The Doctor grinned. This kid was smarter than he let on. "Alrighty then! _Allons y_!"


	6. Years Pass

_**Sorry for this taking so long! It's summer now and it's hard to get back into writing regularly. Thank you for hanging in there!**_

After their trip to meet Vonnegut, the Doctor dropped Dean back off at the hospital. The kid was less than pleased to be back, but he was in a good mood nonetheless. He had a lot of fun, and made a promise to himself to read more when he could.

The Doctor had really wished that Dean had accepted his offer about traveling with him, but deep down he knew it was for the best he didn't. Well, not for Dean's best, but for everyone's. Who knows what would have happened if they changed the timelines. Unfortunately, the Doctor knew that this would not be the first, or the last, time that Dean's needs were put second...or third, or fourth...

Dean was back in bed at the hospital before the nurses even noticed his absence. He stayed overnight and was allowed to go home with strict instructions to keep his cast on at all times and to not stress it.

The Doctor and Donna went to visit Dean before he went home officially. They waited outside the room while his dad and brother were in there. They sat on adjacent chairs across the hall. Dean had told them not to let John know about their presence- and certainly not their time with Dean.

That, of course, worried them both, but they had promised. So they waited for John and Sam to leave.

They had only arrived 5 minutes before they heard yelling from the room across the hall. It was obviously John's voice, but they couldn't make out what he was saying. Suddenly, the door to the room swung open, and a red faced John stomped out, with little Sam trailing behind him. He didn't even look over at the two of them as he marched by. Sam, however, turned to the Doctor and smiled, shyly. The Doctor smiled back.

When they had cleared the hallway, Donna and the Doctor stood up simultaneously and went to Dean's room. Dean was fully dressed and sitting at the edge of his bed. His cast was on his right arm, and he was holding it close to his body. He was looking at the floor when they entered, but as soon as he heard them he looked up.

Dean's face was red and puffy, and tear stains rolled down his cheeks. When he saw who was at the door, he immediately wiped his eyes with his good hand, and looked away. "Hey, guys. I didn't know you were waiting already..."

"Are you okay? What happened?" Donna sunk into the bed beside him. She wrapped her arm around him, but he pulled away.

"Nothing. I'm leaving soon. My dad's just gone to fill out the paperwork so i can go." Dean glanced back up, his face no longer wet, and the color leaving it.

"We heard yelling," The Doctor commented.

Dean sighed. "We were...arguing..I guess..." He looked like he was done, but suddenly his face fell again, and he continued, softer now. "I don't think he thinks I'm a good hunter anymore. After this-" he pointed broken arm. "He probably thinks I'm not fit to be one. He...he wants me to start showing Sam how to shoot a gun and stuff like that." He closed his eyes, and tears began go fall again. "Sammy doesn't even know what i know, yet. I don't want him to..."

The Doctor's heart broke as Dean spoke, and he finally understood why Dean had to say no. Sure, Dean had said he couldn't leave Sam, but only now did the Doctor realize what leaving would truly mean for both brothers. "Dean..."

Dean sensed the pity in his voice, and could hear the cracking in his own, and he hated it. "It's fine. I'm fine," He wiped his tears and tried to calm down. He felt like a baby, crying in front of them. He couldn't be a baby- he was ten years old, and he was a big brother. He had to be more grown up for him. "So, anyway...where are you guys going now?"

Donna and the Doctor exchanged a glance, but mutually decided to play along. "Well, we've got to go and do something about those angels," Donna answered. "And then, who knows," she glanced at the Doctor. "Somewhere theres trouble, most likely."

Dean grinned. "Yeah, of course. we're both monster-magnets, huh, Doc?"

"It would seem so," The Doctor replied.

Afterwards, Donna and the Doctor left Dean to go with his family. Dean hoped that he would return soon, but, being the Doctor, he did not.

It was an entire nine years before he would see the Doctor again. While he had never given up hope that he would see his "imaginary friend" again, he had a lot on his mind during those years, so he didn't think about him much.

Sam, by then, had been helping for years. Dean was grateful for the fact that he had mostly been on research-duty, and their dad rarely let him help out "in the field."

His little innocent baby brother was now a full-blown teenager. He was rebellious, didn't listen, and most of all did NOT want to hunt. He just wanted to be normal. And it was him who the Doctor first saw on his visit.

The Doctor was older now. He was alone. He had just recently lost Donna, and he was in a bad place.

The Doctor never knew where he would run into the Winchesters. They moved around almost as much as he did. The TARDIS had brought him to Pawtucket, Massachusetts, and he had no idea why. Even so, he knew there had to be a reason- the TARDIS_ always _had a reason.

He wandered around town, aimlessly. He kept his eye out for anything out of the ordinary, but so far had found nothing. Eventually, as one usually does, he found himself at the library, where he accidentally bumped into a tall, awkward boy of about 12 with shaggy hair and brown eyes.


	7. Home Sweet Home

When the two crossed paths, they literally crossed paths. Neither looking where they were walking, they collided into each other, sending books flying to the ground. "Sorry," the boy mumbled without even looking up. He bent down to pick up his books from the floor.

"No, no, it was my fault," The Doctor helped collect the books, standing back up to hand them to the kid. When he did so, he finally got a look at the boys face- and recognized him instantly. "Are you Sam? Sam Winchester?"

Sam's eyes widened as he gave the Doctor a one-over. "Depends. Who are you?" He did not recognize the man, but it was possible he was a "friend" of his fathers. He tended to not pay much attention to them. At the same time, he knew to keep his guard up- just as Dean taught him.

"I'm the Doctor. It's nice to meet you, Sam." The Doctor stuck out his hand for a shake, and Sam hesitantly obliged. He had already met Sam plenty of times, but it seemed Sam had not yet met him. "I'm a friend of your brothers."

_One of Dean's friends... figures he'd be a weirdo_. "You're a friend of Dean's? He never mentioned you." He asked skeptically.

"I'm not surprised. I haven't seen him in a while." The Doctor explained. He could tell Sam was wary of him, but he couldn't blame him. He was, after all, a stranger to him. "If he's in town, I'd love to see him,"

Sam bit his lip, a nervous habit, as he considered the Doctors offer. Dean didn't have many friends, so if this guy was legit, Dean would want to see him. On the other hand, he could be some crazy ax murderer or a demented monster. "Well, Dean's picking me up soon. I guess you could stand outside and wait with me."

The Doctor grinned. "Fantastic. You need help carrying those?" Sam nodded and handed the top few books to him. As they walked outside, the Doctor read through some of the titles. "_Myths and Legends of the Ancient Greeks_?" He read aloud. "_Biblical Demons and Plagues_? Is this normal reading for you Americans?"

Sam's face went red. "Oh...no that's for... a school thing." He stuttered.

The Doctor chuckled. "Don't worry. I know all about the...family business."

"What? Dean told you? Are you a hunter?" Their dad wouldn't let them tell anyone about what they did- especially friends. And Sam couldn't believe that his brother, who took his fathers word as gospel, would have disobeyed him like that.

"You're brother helped me out with a...ghost problem." It wasn't technically a lie.

"What did you say was your name, again?"

"Just call me the Doctor."

"But you're not an actual doctor?"

"Not exactly..."

They both heard a loud car horn as a black, '67 Chevy Impala rolled into the library parking lot. The engine shut off, and a 16 year old Dean Winchester got out. He turned to see Sam. "Hey, Sammy! How did my geek brother like-"

The Doctor's eyes met Dean's as he saw Dean register who was standing beside his little brother. "Hello, Dean."

Sam glanced back and forth between the two. "Um... Dean, this guy said he was a friend of yours... a Doctor or something?"

"Yeah...yeah Sam, he is." Dean's face was shocked, but soon he was grinning again. "It's good to see you, Doc."

"So you do know each other, then," Sam walked over to the car, followed by the Doctor. "How come you've never mentioned him, Dean? It's not like you have too many friends."

Dean shot Sam a look before returning his gaze to the Doctor. "So what have you been up to, Doc? It's been awhile, but I'm used to that by now."

The Doctor thought about all that had happened since he last saw Dean and decided not to say anything. "Oh, you know. Out and about in the TARDIS, as usual." He tried his best to smile sincerely.

"No companion this time?" Dean asked, jokingly.

The Doctor clenched his jaw, and shook his head.

Dean recognized the look immediately, and decided it best to change the subject. "Well, my dad's out for now, so... if you wanna come back to our motel..." He offered.

"That would be lovely."

...

"Here we are. Sorry, It's not much," Dean unlocked the door to the motel room they were calling home for the time being. Sam hated it- and made it more than clear to anyone who would listen. Dean wasn't a fan of their temporary abode either, but to him that was all it was- temporary.

"Hm," Sam scoffed, pushing past Dean into the room. "Home, sweet home."

"Hey, watch it, bitch." Dean rolled his eyes. He motioned for the Doctor to come in.

"Jerk!" Sam mumbled, dropping his books on the bed.

"Don't mind him. He's always angsty now-a-days." Dean laughed. "So what brings you to Pawtucket, Doc?"

"Oh, you know, just going wherever the TARDIS takes me," He replied, trying not to sound as gloomy as he felt. What were the odds that the TARDIS decided to make a pit stop in the same town that the Winchesters happened to be in? _Whatever the reason...it can't be a good one. _As much as he adored the boy, Dean seemed to be a trouble magnet.

"What's the TARDIS?" Sam asked from across the room. Watching the two of them interact was...weird, to say the least. They both talked vaguely to each other like they were trying to hide something.

"Nothin', Sam. Just the Doc's car. He loves the damn thing almost as much as I love mine," Dean grinned.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Somehow I doubt that."

The Doctor smiled. He loved watching the boys banter back and forth. In their later years, they seem to be missing that absolute ease with each other that they have now. He looked back at Dean. "What are you two doing in this town, anyway?"

"Dad's hunting a spirit of some old hospital across town." Dean explained. "It's spring break, so we're only here for the week." Sam made some noise akin to a scoff and Dean rolled his eyes.

"You aren't hunting it with him?" The Doctor asked, surprised. He didn't like the idea of Dean hunting, but the kid seemed to enjoy it, so he would have thought he would jump at the opportunity.

A hurt looked flashed across Dean's face, but only for a moment. "He didn't need me on this one. It's just a simple salt-and-burn. Besides, somebody's gotta look after Sammy." He spoke the second part so softly the Doctor figured Sam probably didn't even hear it.

"If it's so simple, why isn't he back yet?" Sam argued, finally coming over to where the other two were standing. "He said he would just be staying at the hospital overnight and then he'd be back. It's been three days, Dean."

"Chill out, Sammy. He's been late before." Dean tried to put his arm around his brother, but Sam shrugged away.

"It's _Sam_. And I know, that's the point, Dean." He looked like he was fully prepared to argue more, but then he looked over at the Doctor and stopped himself. "Whatever. I'm going to go read." He muttered, and then retreated back to the farthest bed from the door.

Dean sighed, and the Doctor decided to intervene. "Why don't you and I go grab a burger, huh?" He asked Dean.

Dean glanced over at Sam, who did not look back. "Yeah, sure. I'll be back soon, Sammy. You want anything?"

Sam just shook his head, not even looking up from his book.

"Let's go, then."


	8. It's Just a Phase

_**EDITED! Sorry, I'm an idiot, and I didn't really think about what time period this is in. This should be like 1995, and they didn't have common cell phones like they do now. So I had to fix a few things, but everything's mostly the same. Sorry!**_

"He never used to be like this," Dean took a huge bite of his burger as he sat across from the Doctor. The Doctor was picking lightly at his fries, but he wasn't hungry. The booth they were sitting at was small and cramped, but Dean didn't seem to mind. He was used to this sort of thing. It was all part of the routine. When Dean wasn't checking out the waitress probably twice his age, he was going on and on about Sam.

"I mean, he's never really enjoyed moving around, but he was always, like, _c__urious _about hunting. Not the hunting part, but the lore and stuff. He wanted to _learn_, you know? But now... he's just cranky all the time and hates everything and _everyone_."

The Doctor pursed his lips. "He's just a teenager, Dean. They go through phases," Although, the Doctor couldn't really blame Sam for his hesitance.

"Yeah, I guess..." He didn't seem convinced.

"You just have to give him space. He's trying to figure out who he is. Whether or not that's a hunter... is something he'll have to fund out for himself."

Dean laughed into his Coke. "Yeah, thanks, Doc. You know, you could make a good father one day."

The Doctor thought about his words for a moment, wondering whether or not to respond. But this *_was_* Dean. "I am a father, actually." He replied, his voice catching slightly.

"You are?" Dean asked, curiosity filling his green eyes. "You never told me that."

"Well, I was...am... I don't know what you say about that..." He avoided Dean's gaze.

"Oh... I'm sorry." Dean smiled politely as the waitress came to fill their drinks. As she left, Dean shoved the rest of his burger in his mouth.

The Doctor changed the subject. "And what about your dad? How is he doing?"

Dean shrugged. "You know, same as usual I guess."

"I'll have to meet him, sometime." The Doctor commented.

Dean pursed his lips. "I don't know if that's a good idea," He picked up another fry but just stared at it. "When I was really little, I would... I would talk about you all the time," Dean smiled to himself, thinking about him as a kid, blabbering on and in about his friend with the magical box. But as he continued, his smile faded. "But my dad never believed me- and who can blame him? You're kind of unbelievable. He didn't like me talking about it."

Dean kind of wished he could prove his stubborn father wrong and have him meet his old 'imaginary friend', but he knew that was a bad idea. He didn't mention it to the Doctor, but he was afraid his father wouldn't be interested in being friends with him. He may even want to *_hunt_* him, being an alien and all.

"That's okay, I understand." The Doctor reassured him. He had heard a lot about John Winchester; some good, most bad. He knew what would happen to him, and what it would do to his sons, but there was nothing he could do about that. He used to believe that he could save Dean from his fate- but he knew now that he couldn't. Not without major consequences.

Dean looked at his watch and threw his napkin on his plate. "Alright, Doc. We gotta get back. I promised Sam we wouldn't we gone too long.

Dean called the waitress over for the bill, and soon after they were on the road.

When Dean pulled the Impala into the motel parking lot, Sam was already sitting outside. As soon as he saw them, Sam jumped up. His eyes were wide with panic, and his hands were shaking. Dean was the first one out of the car, and hurridly ran over to his brother. "Sammy! Are you hurt? What's wrong?"

Sam latched himself onto his brother, who wrapped his arms around him protectively. The Doctor just watched the two of them from a few feet away, wanting to listen but not to intrude. Sam buried his face into Dean's jacket. "I'm fine, Dean. It's Dad..."

"Dad? Is he back? Is he okay?"

Sam pulled away, and addressed both men. "I was just reading and the motel phone rang. It was Dad, but... he sounded real bad, like he was hurt. He thought he was talking to you... He said that the- the hunt had gone wrong or something, and he needed help. I tried to ask him where he was and what had happened but the line went dead!" Sam's face slackened and his brow furrowed. "I've been trying to call him back but he won't pick up anymore."

Dean reached his hand out again, brushing his fingers through Sam's hair. "Don't worry. I'll go get him, okay? He'll be fine." His voice was soft, now; comforting.

"But Dean-"

"But nothin', Sam. Who do you think you're talking to? If anyone's gonna save Dad's ass, it's gonna be me, right?" Dean grinned, trying to relieve the tension in his little brothers face.

Sam did relax slightly, but he still wasn't completely confident. "Please be careful Dean. Don't go getting yourself hurt... I... I should come with you, for backup!"

Dean shook his head. "No. No way. I'll be fine, Sammy..."

"I'll come with," The Doctor piped in, finally. Both brothers turned to see him as he spoke. "I'll be your backup."

"You sure about that, Doc?"

"Absolutely." Dean seemed skeptical, but grateful. Sam looked relieved.

Dean turned back to Sam, and hugged him one last time before leaving. "You stay here, okay? You know the rules by now. I'll be back before you know it, kiddo." He let go of Sam and turned towards the Doctor. "Come on, Doc. We gotta go."

The Doctor nodded, and went to follow him outside when a little hand grabbed his arm. "Please, Doctor. I don't know you, but you're Dean's friend, and that's good enough for me." Sam bit his lower lip, just like Dean always did. "Don't let him get himself hurt, okay? He's always coming back from hunts with a twisted ankle or broken arm. Most days, he comes back he's worse off than Dad. Watch him for me?"

The Doctor sighed, but tried to look confident for Sam. "Don't worry. I'll bring him back safe." Sam smiled as the Doctor left, but the Doctor's face was pale. He had seen Dean come back from plenty of hunts, and he knew what Sam said to be true. He again wished that there was something he could do to change that- to help Dean. But there was nothing. All he could do was keep him safe for this one hunt... and Damn it- he was going to keep him safe.


End file.
